This invention relates to showerheads and other similar water flow outlets.
The present invention relates particularly to showerheads typically utilized in residential and hotel bathrooms, sports-related shower facilities and other similar locations where water is fed through a system of plumbing lines and released in the form of a spray or stream projected into a zone of use at substantially atmospheric pressure. Normally considered principally for bathing, showerheads also exist in grocery markets where vegetables are keeps moist and fire extinguishing systems.
A typical showerhead is comprised of a ball adapter attached to a water pipe extending from a wall, or in some cases from a ceiling fixture, and a flared head attached to the ball adapter. Handheld showerheads are common as well. Generally speaking, spray holes defined on a lower end or surface plate of the head emit a continuous shower of water along a water pathway with an upstream portion and a downstream portion at the head, once the water valve is set to an “on” position. The head may be pivotable or moveable on the ball adapter to direct the shower. Often showerhead output may be adjusted so as to alter the character of its spray it in terms of volume, density and/or force.
When the water valve is turned to an “off” position, to stop water flow, the inside of the showerhead is partially drained through the surface plate spray holes. Almost always, a small to moderate amount of water remains within the showerhead structure. A sealed volume of air above the remaining water is pulled upon by the weight of the remaining water such that suction is developed preventing full drainage of the water. In time, the remaining water clings to an inner showerhead surface as well around the surface plate holes where it gradually evaporates leaving a deposit of minerals contained therein. Mineral deposits or scale slowly builds up inside the showerhead and on its outer/lower surface and eventually clogs the spray holes. This is particularly true where “hard water” is involved.
Hard water, according to The Free Encyclopedia, Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_water] is water that has a high mineral content. This content usually consists of high levels of metal ions, mainly calcium and magnesium in the form of carbonates, but may include several other metals as well as bicarbonates and sulfates. Hard water is the principal cause of showerhead clogging. It is found throughout the world and ruins millions of showerheads each year. Hard water is found in 85% of American homes, 60% of UK homes, and 70% of Australian homes. With respect to showerhead damage, the present invention eliminates the problem of hard water.
Deposits within the showerhead distort and weaken the shower spray destroying the enjoyment and/or effectiveness of showering. Besides rendering them less than effective, they buildup of deposits are unwelcome in most environments since they are unsightly and suggest an unclean condition. In luxury hotels and finer residences, pride of ownership demands that clog-compromised showerheads be replaced regularly to ensure both optimal showers and the elimination of the aesthetically displeasing off-white lime scale build-up.
Mechanical descaling or chemical removal is not a welcome solution, since the former can be damaging to fine chrome or brass finishes and the latter requires strong acids for dissolution, a procedure posing an unhealthy situation for the laborer and may damage the surrounding trim. Moreover, the chemical residue from the chemical procedure is incompatible with preferred environmental standards.
The most common anti-clogging technique today consists of small raised, flexible rubber or silicone spray nozzles which replace old-fashioned spray holes. The idea is that lime scale buildup can be rubbed off with a finger tip—a process much easier than removing scale from a hard, flat hole. Thus the fingertip, not the nozzles, is the anti-clogging device. The RUBIT® by Hansgrohe, Inc. is an example of such a showerhead. Also featured by this company is the QUICLEAN®, a showerhead device which sports needle-like prongs advance and retract through the spray holes to clear them. This may be typical of the Heimann et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,172,862 which shows tubular extensions through a showerhead outlet face of perforations. The extensions can be deformed to flake off lime formations. Another method of treating lime scale is soaking the showerhead in vinegar, but this is generally found to be somewhat labor intensive and ineffective. Yet another method involves a harsh chemical marketed as LIME-A-WAY®, Economics Laboratory, Inc. shows a showerhead outlet face or wall of perforations through which water is expelled, further including tubular extensions that can be deformed to flake off lime formations
The present invention eliminates the need for such cleaning and/or frequent showerhead replacements, which makes it economically desirable. This is especially true when considering the additive costs of new equipment purchase, labor and associated expenses involved in the effort. Further, the present invention is considered “green” in the context of global environmental concerns. Substantial elimination the root cause of the scaling obviates harsh chemical treatment of the clogged facilities. Besides, the shower spray in a non-scale, essentially clean condition will not wastefully skew water spray in several directions. Widespread use of the present invention will avoid millions upon millions of showerheads from crowding landfills worldwide.
In addition to the above-noted examples, a significant number of inventors have proposed a variety of solutions to the problem of water retention and mineral deposits. To date, none among prior art documentation has offered the effective and elegantly simple solution presented herein. This will be evident from the following review of other pre-existing patent disclosures which were made of record in the above-named parent application, most notably those delving into a variety of valve and diverter control systems.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,278, patentee Gallorini presents a shower nozzle equipped with a ventilation opening included among the shower spray holes, obviously altering the character of the spray pattern. Patentee Life, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,670, illustrates a multi-part, spring-loaded diverter valve with a vacuum breaker, notably for roman tubs. U.S. Pat. No. 4,272,022 granted to Evans shows a showerhead with skirt housing swivelably mounted on a ball joint, and including an orifice plate and an axially adjustable face plate providing a self-flushing feature.
Thonnes' U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,361 illustrates a showerhead device with decalcification achieved through means of deflecting elastic nozzles affixed outside the spray plate water openings. Iqbal's U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,006 presents a mechanically complex valve assembly diverting water to a bathtub and to a shower or hand held shower, and reducing a vacuum effect when operating between a shower outlet position and the bath outlet.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,633 granted to Lund et al. shows a spray nozzle with a plurality of blind recesses disposed around its central outlet orifice such that in combination each reduces the likelihood of residue buildup in the other. Terek et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,711,758 illustrates an emergency shower and eyewash system with large capacity container, and including release valve to periodically release liquids from the container during maintenance and cleaning. Further included is a conditioning means ensuring that fluid in the container is not allowed to become harmful through bacterial or microorganism growth as can be common in stagnant liquids.
A tub/shower diverter valve invention, as represented by U.S. Pat. No. 4,523,604 granted to Hutto, illustrates a valve body with a flange which rotatably seats an elastomeric sleeve. When the sleeve is aligned over a tub spout outlet and water supply is turned on, back pressure caused by the showerhead flexes the sleeve to seal the tub spout orifice. When water supply is turned off, the elastomeric sleeve relaxes to allow water to drain into the tub spout. Wittner et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 2,646,059, show an automatic drain valve for portable irrigation pipes.
A patent granted to Christiansen, and identified as U.S. Pat. No. 3,746,031, presents a tub spout construction effecting control of water flow to tub or shower, and including an exterior lift knob control and venting means permitting water to flow into the tub. Heimann et al., in their U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,735, show a hand-held shower unit with a water feed tube assembly having a set of drain holes to prevent accumulation of water in the housing.
Westerhoffs German Patent DE 3934216 presents a single outlet mixer tap with a pull-out spray nozzle assembly wherein transverse holes include a valve closed during normal water flow conditions and automatically opening for air to enter in case of a vacuum. This prevents dirty water being drawn past the fitting and into the pipe system should the spray nozzle be permitted to reside in a full basin.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,347,988 issued to Burke illustrates a valve construction for use in hydraulic circuits, lines, piping, tubing, hose or the like wherever exists risk of reverse flow under atmospheric pressure or by a symphonic action. These valves are particularly suited in industrial situations where flow of liquids to or from tanks or the like has to be controlled and where the hydraulic system has inherently the risk of back flow upon loss or failure of head. This type of valve, of course, would not be applicable in a showerhead setting where discharge is into an open atmospheric environment and backflow is not an issue. Moreover, inserting the valve structure presented by Burke into a shower system would not cure the problem of mineral deposits since Burke includes slits defining flaps which will, upon flow shutdown, retain fluid within the rubber element. Burke's construction is counter to the nature and purpose of the present invention where water is to be completely vented from the showerhead to a non-pressurized zone.
Parry's U.S. Pat. No. 3,962,733 presents an all weather safety shower with a showerhead. The objective of Parry is to provide strategically located bleed means for draining water from the shower such that water will not remain within the system and become frozen or exceptionally hot in harsh weather conditions. The bleed systems are a measurable distance upstream of the showerhead device and have nothing to do with clogging buildup of water minerals.
Langdon, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,629,393, illustrates another backflow prevention system similar to that presented by Burke, discussed hereabove. In this patent is disclosed a combination check and vent valve for preventing backflow in a closed system. Shown are vent holes closed by an internal skirt member as it is subjected to internal pressure when fluid flows therethrough. When flow stops, the vent holes open to ensure against backflow into the fluid supply line. It is important to note that Langdon presents a check valve member with the normally closed slits. The formulation of the normally closed membrane slits will continuously retain at least some water immediately upstream of its membrane. There is no indication that liquid downstream of Langdon's combined valve is permitted to egress.
The present invention is unlike anything in existence. The novel showerhead device by-passes the clogging problem by eliminating the cause. Hence, there is nothing (in the way of mineral deposits) to treat or remove. When water in the present, inventive showerhead is shut off post-showering, the apertured vacuum-breaking check-valve allows all water within the showerhead to automatically and immediately drain out through the lower spray holes. No water, no evaporation, no lime scale, no clogging.
An objective of the present anti-clogging showerhead device is to more completely drain a showerhead to reduce mineral deposits and thus clogging. Among other objectives is to present a device that allows automatic draining of the showerhead and its supply line when water flow is shut off. Also among the objectives is to present a showerhead device that may easily be retrofitted to existing shower facilities or appliances.
An anti-clogging showerhead device is comprised of an air pathway communicating with the water pathway and disposed along said water pathway upstream of the spray holes of a showerhead. When the water is turned off, air is drawn by draining water into the showerhead above the above the spray holes through the air pathway. Therefore, suction above the water is prevented from developing, and the showerhead is able to drain more completely. The air pathway may be provided in the water pipe extending (for example) from the wall, in the showerhead. The air pathway may be comprised of at least one hole within the showerhead housing itself, but covered or closed during water passage therethrough because of the water pressure itself.
The automatic valve may be comprised of a flexible member or membrane which is pushed against said at least one hole when water is turned on, and permitted to self-retract from said hole when the water is turned off and the pressure subsides. As suggested by the above wording, there can be more than one hole, and the flexible member may be substantially annular so as to engage all said holes generally simultaneously.